Supporting AAC implementation is a team effort involving:

• Student

• Family

• Teacher

• Paraprofessionals

• Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)

• Therapy team (e.g. Occupational Therapist (OT), Physical Therapist (PT), Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI), etc.)

• AAC/AT Specialist

Discuss what each person will be responsible for moving forward.

Resources: Facilitating Collaboration: Roles and Responsibilities of the Team in Implementing AAC 

KIPP Texas AAC Rubric of Equity & Excellence (for teachers and paraprofessionals)

(Research Article) External Stakeholders and AAC Abandonment

(Research Article) Family-Centered AAC Services

Decide how team members will refer to the student’s AAC device.

• “Talker”, “AAC Device”?

Refer to the communication device as the student’s “talker” or agree as a team on a different term if necessary based on the student/family preference. 

Resource: How to talk about AAC and AAC users (according to them) 

Plan opportunities to explore the app with your student or when your student isn’t using it (e.g. after bed, etc.). 

To start:

• Understand the basic layout (core vocab, action words, names/social phrases, etc.)

• Make the search feature your best friend!

• Locate the keyboard/ alphabet - you WILL be using it! 

Resource: AAC iPad App Comparison and Information 

Brainstorm ways in which the device can be individualized to meet student needs *SLP will program device, as needed!

• student information

• names of important people

• age-expected wording/slang

• culturally/linguistically relevant words and phrases

• frequently used words related to preferred topics

*Highly recommended* Resources: Vocabulary Questionnaire (English)/ Vocabulary Questionnaire (Spanish) 

*Dos and Don'ts of AAC Personalization

Article reviews: Where’s the “I” in AAC and supplementary planning guide: Identity Focused AAC Planning 

(Considerations for Prestored Phrases) The Quick Comeback, AAC-Style (article review)

AAC device should be charged and easily accessible throughout the day and across all school/community settings

Discuss with the team:

• Who will be responsible for charging the device/when?

• Who will be responsible for reminding student to bring device?

• How can we involve student in taking responsibility?

• Guided access settings options

Make sure light-tech back-ups are printed and available.

Allow ongoing opportunities to explore the talker.

Resources: Don't Forget your AAC Device Poster (Eng/Spn)

Light-Tech AAC Supports 

Guided access  

Respect and respond to all forms of communication!

Allow the student to express themselves using any combination of modalities – high-tech AAC/ talker, light-tech core board, spoken language, verbal approximations, gestures, vocalizations, writing, signs, etc. 

Avoid requiring students to communicate a message a certain way (e.g. “Tell me with you talker ”, etc.). 

Instead, acknowledge what the student expressed and model the mode you want to teach (e.g. I saw you shake your head ‘no’, it looks like you DON’T WANT to go). 

Inspire don’t require. Demonstrate how the student may use the device to communicate without expecting them to mimic or respond. 

Also known as "Aided Language Input" 

Model:

• Keywords

• During meaningful, engaging, functional activities

• One word beyond the student’s current level

• Simultaneously say the complete phrase/sentence aloud

• Show what is possible 

Consider that oral communicators often receive a full year of modeling before they are expected to speak their first word.

*Highly recommended* Resources:

Teach More, Test Less (one-page handout)
Enseña más prueba menos

Modeling (one-page parent handout)

Modeling without Expectation (slides with links, how and what to model)

Project Core - Aided Language Input (<8 min video module for teachers)

Teaching Core Words: using WOW vs PAW  

Communication with an AAC device is slower than spoken language. Be patient, especially as your student is learning. 

Provide ample time to allow your student to initiate. 

The goal is to prevent prompt dependency. 

How long should I wait? SLP will base recommendation on clinical observation of the student and what they require in terms of processing/ message formulation time. 

Typically, 10-20 seconds is a challenge for communication partners to implement but is a good starting place. One research article suggests up to 45 seconds depending on the person. 

Resource: Do's and Don'ts of AAC - Wait Time

Why Not Use Hand Over Hand Prompting

Incorporate the most reinforcing/ engaging targets.

• What it is that our student may be most motivated to communicate that is currently challenging for them to do? 

Focus on core vocabulary to empower our student to communicate across a range of contexts. 

• Core vocabulary refers to the highest frequency words in a language (e.g. go, like, not, etc.). 

Model a range of communication functions.

• Not just requests (e.g. commenting, sharing information, asking questions, rejecting, greeting, etc.) 

Resources: Universal Core Vocabulary and Frequently Used Word Lists

(Research Article) An Early Spanish Vocabulary for Children who use AAC

Core Word Classroom - AssistiveWare   (website with free login from maker of Proloquo2Go, core words of the week and more)

Teaching Core Words Across the Day - Liberator (booklet from maker of LAMP, but could be used across apps)

Core words of the week words and activities (LAMP specific smart charts included for locating vocabulary) 

 “The only way that someone with complex communication needs will ever be able to communicate whatever they want with whomever they want, whenever they want is if we teach them reading and writing” 

-Dr. Karen Erickson

Early exposure to writing concepts is especially important for AAC-users and should not be delayed until a certain age or skills are demonstrated. 

• Use the AAC device to engage the student during shared reading and other literacy activities.

• Model exploring the keyboard, sounds and letters, and predictive spelling features. 

• Model typing words that you may not have previously located or are not programmed in the device.

Consider long-term, how building these skills may allow students access to communicating any/all words as well as creating novel words and phrases.

Resources: Project Core Modules (geared toward teachers) - see modules: Shared Reading and Predictive Chart Writing

Tarheel Shared Reader (accessible online books for students with emergent literacy needs)

Reading and Writing 4 All (resources for teachers and parents of emerging readers)

How to Start Teaching Literacy Skills to AAC Users (short video for parents and educators)